Sunday, August 02, 2015

A server at a New Jersey diner picked up the tab for a pair of firefighters late last month when she overheard the two discuss how hungry they were after fighting a large warehouse fire for 12 hours without stopping to eat.

The two men, who had stopped at 130 Diner in Delran following a long day battling the New Brunswick blaze, asked server Liz Woodward, 24, to bring them the largest cups of coffee she had, TODAY reported

According to one of the firefighters who posted about what happened online, Woodward “overheard” them talking over breakfast.

[T]his is what she set down instead of a bill,” Tim Young wrote.

The server wrote Young and the other firefighter, Paul Hullings, a long note.

There has been another shooting in Salisbury. Several Police agencies along with EMS were dispatched to the America's Best Value Inn. There is one victim with a gun shot wound to the head. Police are holding several juveniles at this time. We will update this post as soon as we have more information.

It is now being reported that the victim of the shooting at America's Best Value Inn did not survive.

There is a currently a large crowd at PRMC.

UPDATE: 1:45am

SPD is now being dispatched to 1100 block of East Main Street for a report of shots fired into a residence.

A month after a black police chief was fired amid allegations of racism, Justice Department officials traveled to Pocomoke City, Md., to meet with local leaders about the chief’s termination.

Justice representatives also talked with residents last week about two other issues roiling the community: accusations that a 2011 federal police grant was misused and allegations of irregularities in a recent city council election.

“We are looking at the chief’s termination,” Charles Phillips, a mediator for the department’s community relations service, told dozens of residents Wednesday night at New Macedonia Baptist Church, according to a video recorded by the Real News Network. “We are looking at some of the other issues — voter irregularities — that were mentioned.”

(MARDELA, MD) – The nephew of a Wicomico County man is under arrest and has been charged with his murder that occurred in a rural farm field in the same county late this morning.

The accused is identified as William B. Harcum, III, 31, of the 10000-block of Snethen Church Road, Mardela, Md. After consultation with the Wicomico County State’s Attorney’s Office, Maryland State Police homicide investigators charged him with first degree murder, second degree murder, first degree assault, and second degree assault. Harcum was been taken for his initial appearance before a court commissioner and is being held without bond in the Wicomico County Detention Center.

The victim is identified as Lee P. Harcum, 62, of the 6200-block of Westbrooke Drive, Salisbury, Md. He was pronounced dead at the scene. His body has been transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Baltimore for an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.

Shortly before 11:30 a.m. today, troopers from the Salisbury Barrack responded to a produce farm field in the 10000-block of Snethen Church Road, Mardela, Md. after receiving a 911 call from the scene. Upon arrival, troopers encountered a man being treated by paramedics near the entrance to a lane that led back to a farm field. The man, later identified as William Harcum III, was taken into custody near the scene.

About one-quarter of a mile back the lane, troopers found the body of Lee Harcum lying in a watermelon field, with obvious trauma to his head. EMS personnel pronounced him dead at the scene.

Troopers called for the Maryland State Police Homicide Unit and Wicomico Bureau of Investigation to respond. State Police crime scene technicians were also dispatched to process the scene.

Investigators have interviewed multiple individuals and evidence has been collected from the scene. The preliminary investigation indicates William Harcum III and his uncle, Lee Harcum, were picking watermelons in the field when an argument ensued between the two. Investigators believe William Harcum III used a blunt object to strike Lee Harcum in the head.

Investigators have recovered a piece of farm equipment that will be forwarded to the State Police Forensic Sciences Division Laboratory for analysis to determine if it was used in the assault. Due to the ongoing investigation, the object is not being identified at this time.

While Wicomico County has more then its fair share of homeless, here's some news that will blow you away!There are several homeless families who used to live in Wicomico County who have relocated to other counties AND states. Did you know that by state law, YOU the taxpayer, (GET THIS) are paying to bus these children from ANNAPOLIS, DOVER, WILMINGTON, SEAFORD, EASTON, OCEAN CITY, MILSBORO, GEORGETOWN and other outlying areas!While this has been brought up by the Board of Ed and the County Council, the BOE continues to operate this function/service. They actually send buses and vans all the way to Annapolis and all other mentioned areas every morning and drive them home after school.Now this is just plain ridiculous. I'd suggest to ALL of you that you contact your legislators, (including Governor Hogan) and tell them we'll not stand for this any more. Did you also know that the County recently purchased 17 brand new buses at more than $100,000.00 a piece. NO ONE can figure out where they got the money from, seriously. The BOE claims that there are some bus routes in which the private drivers can't make money, yet it is the BOE who designates who gets what route. So their answer is, buy their own buses. If you're not following this close enough, know that the BOE will eventually eliminate ALL of the private drivers/owners as they are slowly building up their fleet. It's high time the Board starts being accountable for their actions. It's also high time our representatives relocate these children to schools where they LIVE.

Jim Ireton just announced he will be a candidate but he refuses to say what he will be running for. One thing I can assure you of, the old Dream Team is coming back. Ireton, who originally ran for Mayor of Salisbury played the very people who had enough influence to get him elected and as soon as he won, he turned on ALL of them. Sound familiar Louise?They are methodically working Salisbury voters back to the three ring circus in which Ireton knows he can't win a Mayoral race, so he'll run for City Council with the hope he'll become Council President.Two things will then happen. IF Jake Day doesn't do everything Ireton wants him to do, well, he'll simply refuse to allow items into the agenda and everything Day brings to the table will get immediately dropped. HOWEVER, let's just say Day and Ireton are working together. Well, then you'll see everything rubber stamped and it will be sunshine and rainbows for the entire City. Don't pull the sheet over your heads Ladies & Gentlemen. You are being played.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A Hillview man has been arrested after he shot down a drone flying over his property -- but he's not making any apologies for it.

It happened Sunday night at a home in Bullitt County, according to an arrest report.

Hillview Police say they were called to the home of 47-year-old William H. Merideth after someone complained about a firearm.

When they arrived, police say Merideth told them he had shot down a drone that was flying over his house. The drone was hit in mid-air and crashed in a field near Merideth's home.

Police say the owner of the drone claimed he was flying it to get pictures of a friend's house -- and that the cost of the drone was over $1,800.

Merideth was arrested and charged with first degree criminal mischief and first degree wanton endangerment. He was booked into the Bullitt County Detention Center, and released on Monday.

"Sunday afternoon, the kids – my girls – were out on the back deck, and the neighbors were out in their yard," Merideth said. "And they come in and said, 'Dad, there’s a drone out here, flying over everybody’s yard.'"

NEW YORK — The Drug Enforcement Administration is working through a backlog of Baltimore pharmacy robberies to identify and arrest looters who authorities say stole more than 300,000 doses of prescription pills.During the civil unrest following the death of Freddie Gray after his fatal spinal injury in police custody, rioters broke into no less than 27 pharmacies across Baltimore, raiding safes and smashing storage cabinets to get their hands on Percocet, oxycodone and other controlled pharmaceuticals.

This case of mass-drug theft is unusual for the DEA, Special Agent Todd Edwards told TheBlaze.

“We usually deal with dismantling and disrupting drug trafficking organizations,” Edwards explained, “a lot of the looting is targets of opportunity.”

Trump may have surged ahead of the 2016 Republican candidates, but if he ever became the GOP nominee, the nation would vote Democrat.

He earned 20 percent favorability among the Republicans in a new poll—the largest favorability in the party that the Quinnipiac University poll has ever seen. Following behind him are Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker at 13 percent and former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush with 10 percent. The rest of the packed Republican race falls at 6 percent or lower.

Yet Trump’s own party put him at the top of the “no way” list. Thirty percent of Republican respondents said they would “definitely not support” him for the Republican nomination. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie follows at 15 percent, then Bush at 14 percent.

The Democrats would pick anyone else over the media mogul in the general election as well. Quinnipiac asked American voters to choose between another Democratic candidate and Trump, and Trump loses every time: Hillary Clinton and Trump (48 – 36 percent), Vice President Joe Biden and Trump (49 – 37 percent), and Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and Trump (45 – 37 percent).

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has refused to reverse its denial of disaster aid to help Maryland and Baltimore recover millions of dollars in costs stemming from rioting in the city in April, Gov. Larry Hogan's office said Thursday.

FEMA Administrator Craig Fugate said in a letter to the Republican governor Wednesday that after thoroughly reviewing Hogan's appeal, the agency had reaffirmed its June 12 finding that a major disaster declaration "is not appropriate for this event."

The decision drew an angry response from the governor's office.

"Gov. Hogan is disgusted and outraged by FEMA's decision, especially in light of the attention that the Obama administration paid to the city and state's response to the riots," spokesman Matt Clark said.

BALTIMORE (WJZ) — Peeling paint, live wires and mold–all found inside a Baltimore City school. Now a state senator is demanding answers from the school system about what he calls an emergency situation.

Meghan McCorkell has the disturbing images from inside the building.

The senator says even though school doesn’t start until August 31, someone has dropped the ball on giving students what was promised.

Live wires sticking out of a wall, mold growing on the ceiling, carpets filthy dirty inside classrooms.

“Parents are upset, community members are upset,” said Senator Bill Ferguson, (D) Baltimore City.

There are plenty of 'everyday Americans' out there with perfectly good haircuts, styled by perfectly good hairdressers, in perfectly good Main Street salons... so why is self-proclaimed populist person-of-the-everyday-American Hillary Clinton getting a $600 haircut at Bergdorf Goodman's Fifth Avenue store in NYC?

Hillary Clinton put part of Bergdorf Goodman on lockdown on Friday to get a $600 haircut at the swanky John Barrett Salon.

Clinton, with a huge entourage in tow, was spotted being ushered through a side entrance of the Fifth Avenue store on Friday.

A source said, “Staff closed off one side of Bergdorf’s so Hillary could come in privately to get her hair done. An elevator bank was shut down so she could ride up alone, and then she was styled in a private area of the salon. Other customers didn’t get a glimpse. Hillary was later seen with a new feathered hairdo.”

EASTON — On Wednesday, July 29, the Talbot County NAACP branch and the Talbot County Council met in the courthouse at the NAACP’s request to discuss a statue sitting outside on the lawn.

After the shooting at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, S.C. on June 17, in which white gunman Dylann Roof killed nine people, a debate began about Confederate icons, especially the flag. It’s been 150 years since the Civil War, but that debate has exposed tension in Talbot County over how to remember that war.

The Civil War was not fought directly in Talbot, but the slaveholding county was very much a part of the conflict. Frederick Douglass was born here, and Underground Railroad icon Harriet Tubman was born just to the south in Dorchester County. Soldiers from the county fought on both sides.

I started noticing “Cecil the Lion” trending on Facebook and Twitter at some point yesterday afternoon. By the evening, it was the most popular topic on social media, and stories about the lion were popping up on all of the national news sites.

Before I took the time to investigate, I tried to imagine if there could be any valid reason for a wild cat to become the biggest news item in the world. On a day when another undercover video revealed Planned Parenthood dismembering murdered children for profit, I strained to think if there might be some justification for ignoring the harvesting of human beings in favor of obsessing over a large feline in Africa.

I thought maybe the lion had cured cancer, or sprouted wings and flown into space, or stood on its hind legs and recited the Gettysburg Address. Surely, these developments would vindicate the disproportionate amount of attention it was receiving. But I quickly found out that the lion, from Zimbabwe, had done no such thing. Apparently, all it did was die.

The unrelenting criticism of brash-talking Donald Trump by the Republican "elite" and mainstream media is only making the real estate billionaire stronger in his presidential run, according to President George W. Bush's former speechwriter Matt Latimer.

In a commentary for Politico Magazine, Latimer argues the first GOP debate on Fox News next week "is already a total backfire for the establishment."

"Based on the latest polls, it will likely include every single one of the candidates the Republican elite despises: Donald Trump, Mike Huckabee, Ben Carson and Ted Cruz—and banish to the losers' consolation round exactly the types of candidates the establishment presumably wants to showcase: a female business leader, an Indian-American son of immigrants and the consensus-building governor of the crucial electoral state of Ohio," Latimer writes.

"The controlled, somber and oh-so-civilized process that the GOP promised its donors is now the biggest free-for-all in American political history."

Republican party leaders wrongly assumed they could "bully people like Trump out," Latimer writes.

"That Trump is mocking and bewildering the reviled GOP hierarchy… fills the GOP electorate with a not-so-secret glee," he adds.

"To many voters, rightly or wrongly, Trump is the antidote to years of Washington’s cynical, manufactured outrages, the petty punishments of those who deviated from the party line, its broken promises, meaningless 'show votes,' careful, poll-tested politician speak and a multitude of backroom deals that have solved exactly zero of our nation’s problems," he writes.

And he adds, Trump's total takeover of the presidential race "without breaking a sweat" must be "deliciously humiliating … for the political pros of DC. " More

The ASPCA reports that it takes a car just 10 minutes of sitting in 85 degree weather to break 100 degrees inside – and that’s true even with “the windows cracked.” Since dogs cannot sweat or cool themselves in the way humans can, they can experience heat stroke in that environment within just 15 minutes.

The fact that police officers kill so many unarmed Americans suddenly seems less surprising once you realize how many cops are responsible for killing their own partners. In the past month or so alone, four police dogs have diedafter being left in the back of a cop car on a hot day. While these fatalities seem to be the result of negligence rather than maliciousness, something must be done to prevent more hardworking police dogs from suffering a similar fate.

Care2 has a new petitionaiming to put a stop to these tragedies. Before signing, catch up on the heartbreakingstories of these four fallen canine heroes:

Mason: This 3-year-old Alabama pooch died after being accidentally left in the back of a hot police car on June 18. Though police cars in Alabama that carry most police dogs are equipped with life-saving technology to prevent such an accident, since Mason was employed for communityoutreach rather than “enforcement,” he did not ride in such cars.

Nitro: In late June, another 3-year-old dog, Nitro, inStockton, Calif., died in a hot car while his handler was participating in a civilian arrest. The air conditioner in the K9 patrol car is supposed to automatically run in hot conditions, but – for unknown reasons – this backup system did not go into effect. The police department is checking other K9 cars to ensure a similar mishap doesn’t occur again.

Baston– This 7-year-old German shepherd died in the back of his handler’s car, where he was left in 90 degree weather for at least three hours in early July. By the time the Rincon,Ga., officer remembered the dog was still in the car, Bastonwas dead.

Zane– In mid-July, a Conyers, Ga., officer made a similar mistake leaving the 5-year-old bloodhound Zane in the back of a car for over 10 hours. The officer made attempts to revive the dog upon discovering his mistake to no avail.

Sadly, this is not a recent phenomenon. Last summer, The Washington Post reported on multiple police dogs that suffered a similar fate. These devastating incidents are extra upsetting when you realize that while the average American can be prosecuted for this form of animal abuse, officers who leave dogs in their cars are never charged with a crime.

Zimbabwean authorities say that a Minnesota dentist is responsible for slaying one of the country's most beloved lions.

On Tuesday, The Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force said in a statement that Walter James Palmer of Eden Prairie, Minn., paid at least $50,000 to track and kill the animal.

The conservation group and Zimbabwean authorities said that Palmer ultimately killed, Cecil, a protected lion and one of the most famous animals at the Hwange National Park. Cecil was fitted with a GPS collar and tracked by the Oxford Universityresearch program, according to a statement from Johnny Rodrigues, the chairman for Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force.

On Tuesday, Palmer said in a statement, "I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt," CBS reported.

"I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt," Palmer said, according to CBS. "I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion."

He added, according to the statement, that he had not been contacted by authorities but would work with them.

Trying to predict the outcome of any encounter with the police is a bit like playing Russian roulette: most of the time you will emerge relatively unscathed, although decidedly poorer and less secure about your rights, but there’s always the chance that an encounter will turn deadly.

Levar Jones was stopped for a seatbelt offense just as he was getting out of his car to enter a convenience store. Directed to show his license, Jones leaned into his car to get his wallet, only to be shot four times by the “fearful” officer. Jones was also unarmed.

Dontrell Stevens was stopped “for not bicycling properly.” The officer pursuing him “thought the way Stephens rode his bike was suspicious. He thought the way Stephens got off his bike was suspicious.” Four seconds later, sheriff’s deputy Adams Lin shot Stephens four times as he pulled out a black object from his waistband. The object was his cell phone. Stephens was unarmed.

A U.S. Marine offered President Barack Obama a tough lesson in what it means to show respect for his fallen brothers-in-arms.

In the 11 minute video, the unnamed veteran, who said he is from Chattanooga, first called out the president on the manner he chose to speak following the Chattanooga shootings.

“The day of the attack, you delivered a statement. You didn’t even have the decency to stand up,” he said.

The Marine then ticked off a list of shootings or deaths that Obama did stand up for while he spoke to the nation, including the Charleston shooting, the Boston bombings, the Baltimore riots, Michael Brown’s death, and the Washington Naval Yard shooting. He even stood up when singer Whitney Houston passed.

Boston and the United States Olympic Committee have officially ended the city’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. But can the failed bid to bring the Olympics to Washington, D.C., and Baltimore get back in?

D.C. bid on the 2024 Olympics in an effort that would have involved Baltimore. But the USOC selected Boston over D.C. and other bidders, including Los Angeles — a choice it might regret.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser’s Chief of Staff John Falcicchio said in a statement it is still too early to tell what might happen next.

"We were surprised that Boston's bid deflated,” Falcicchio said. “It is too early to say what is next but we remain proud of the bid put forth by DC 2024."More

BALTIMORE —Most Baltimore City police officers -- 79 percent -- do not live in the city they patrol, the WBAL-TV 11 News I-Team has learned.

Baltimore police officers make their homes not only in far-away counties, like Cecil, Montgomery, Queen Anne's and St. Mary's, but also in nearby states -- environments quite different from the one they police every day.

During the April riots in Baltimore, the men and women of the Baltimore City Police Department held the line while people hurled objects at them, set fires and looted.

The Baltimore chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People said the relationship between the police and the community could improve if more officers actually lived in the city.

Once again without any investigative work the EBT Blogger is spreading more rumors and lies.The woman mentioned above is a complete Idiot as well. She clearly does not know the woman who owns the horses mentioned and or the story behind the two sick horses. Well, I DO.Looks can be extremely deceiving. I can recall a couple years ago when I was getting phone calls about a horse down the street from our Delmar home. The horse was very thin and you could see his backbone and ribs. What the callers didn't know was that the horse was 40 years old and was at the end of his life.What these Idiots above also don't know is that the person who owns the horses mentioned RESCUES horses. She spends thousands upon thousands of dollars on veterinarian care on horses other people either ignored, couldn't afford and or just don't care. In this case, one of the horses has a disease and quite a bit of money has already been spent trying to keep it alive. Age also plays a huge role. I'll say this as well Lady, she does NOT have 37 horses, nowhere near. That's why you conveniently placed a "?" mark after your statement above. Now, what all of you Facebook nuts have done is expose her name and where she works. NONE of you have personally questioned the situation, yet many of you have published your names and are now liable for defamation. In fact the Idiot above even admits she doesn't even know the woman she defames.I am not publishing this because I want to act like the EBT Blogger and just disagree with anything he says. In this case he and his few followers are not only wrong, they are in the wrong. If I had a horse I wanted to send off to a good home, I'd send them to this woman because we have not only known her for well more than a decade, we know her heart and her sincere love for animals, hence the fact that she rescues animals. Remember Folks, my Wife and I rescued more then 35 foals. Each and every time we came back with another batch, this woman was right there to help us in every way. So before you open your big mouths and start accusing people of things, get to know them first. You might just make a really great life long friend like we did.

NEW YORK (AP) — The Boy Scouts of America on Monday ended its blanket ban on gay adult leaders while allowing church-sponsored Scout units to maintain the exclusion for religious reasons.

The new policy, aimed at easing a controversy that has embroiled the Boy Scouts for years, takes effect immediately. It was approved by the BSA’s National Executive Board on a 45-12 vote during a closed-to-the-media teleconference.

“For far too long this issue has divided and distracted us,” said the BSA’s president, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates. “Now it’s time to unite behind our shared belief in the extraordinary power of Scouting to be a force for good.”

Our climate is in trouble if we do not act. I know where I stand on Keystone XL and I have a plan to end our reliance on fossil fuels by 2050. Add your name if you're with me: http://omly.us/oppose-keystone-xl
Posted by Martin O'Malley on Monday, July 27, 2015

Verizon workers in nine states have voted to go on strike if necessary over a dispute about a new contract, a union official said at a rally Saturday.

"Our members are clear and they are determined," said Dennis Trainor, an official with the Communications Workers of America union. "They reject management's harsh concessionary demands."

At the rally in New York, the CWA announced that 86 percent of Verizon workers who voted in a recent poll backed strike action if required. A contract that covers 39,000 workers represented by the CWA and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers expires at midnight on August 1.

The contract covers employees the nine states from Massachusetts to Virginia who work for Verizon's wireline business, which provides fixed-line phone services and FiOS Internet service.

(MARDELA SPRINGS, MD) — A suspect is in custody as Maryland State Police begin an investigation into an apparent homicide on a farm in a rural area in Wicomico County.

The investigation is just beginning and details are few. The information currently known is that troopers from the Maryland State Police Salisbury Barrack responded to a farm in the 10000-block of Snethen Church Road, Mardela Springs, Md., after receiving a 911 call shortly before 11:30 a.m. today. The deceased is described as an adult male. A male suspect was taken into custody at the scene.

The cause and manner of death are not known at this time. The body of the deceased will be taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy. A motive is not known at this point in the investigation.

Maryland State Police Homicide Unit investigators have responded and will lead the investigation, with assistance from State Police Criminal Enforcement Division investigators and sheriff’s deputies assigned to the Wicomico Bureau of Investigation. State Police crime scene technicians are responding to process the scene.

Additional details will be provided when they are available. The deceased will not be publicly identified until he has been positively identified and family notified. The suspect will not be identified until he is charged with a crime.

The group said the bronze Baphomet monument, which weighs about one ton and has never been seen before in public, “is not only an unparalleled artistic triumph, but stands as a testament to plurality and the power of collective action.”

The statue, which backed by an inverted pentagram and flanked by statues of two young children gazing up at the creature, shows Satan with horns, hooves, wings and a beard.

A Missouri sheriff has slapped “In God We Trust” decals on patrol cars saying “there is no better time than now” to be displaying the national motto.

Sheriff Doug Rader of Stone County in the Ozarks said he was proud to announce that the decals are now on the back of department vehicles, but not everyone is pleased, Fox2Now reports.

“Very simple and ill state for the record, I’m not offended that these decals exist, IT’S INAPPROPRIATE TO HAVE THEM ON GOVERNMENT PROPERTY. No voting required, it’s a violation of church and state. You are showing preference to a religion, how is this such a mystery? “ Nathan Belden said in a comment posted on the Sheriff’s Facebook page.

The station said some are also questioning where the money came from to pay for the decals. The Sheriff’s Department said it used money donated from local businesses to buy them, not taxpayer funds.

Rader said on Facebook July 21 that the decals were appropriate because “In God We Trust” became the national motto in 1956 and is on all U.S. currency.

“There has been no better time than now to proudly display our National Motto!” the sheriff wrote.

ATLANTA (ABC NEWS) - Bobbi Kristina Brown, the daughter of music icon Whitney Houston, died on Sunday, more than five months after being found unresponsive in her Roswell, Georgia home. She was 22 years old.

"Bobbi Kristina Brown passed away Sunday, July, 26 2015, surrounded by her family. She is finally at peace in the arms of God. We want to again thank everyone for their tremendous amount of love and support during these last few months," a statement from the Houston family said.

Brown, who was an aspiring actress and singer, was found in her bath tub by a friend, Max Lomas, and her partner Nick Gordon on Jan. 31 and taken to a local hospital, according to police. Sources later told ABC News that she was moved to the Neurology Intensive Care Unit of Emory University Hospital a few days later, and then a rehab facility in late March.